Arimidex

I have been on Arimidex for 2 years now. I had a lumpectomy with radiation treatments. Since being on the Arimidex, my hair has gotten very thin, mostly on top, joint and muscle pain so bad I cry at times with them. I have gained a good deal of weight. There are other side effects that I am having also. Was wondering if anyone here has had the same problems with Arimidex. If so, did you stop taking it? Did the symptoms from it go away once off it? Any information you can give me about it would be a big help. I go to the doctors this Friday and I am thinking of telling him I do not want to stay on the Arimidex. Thanks for any information you have.

I have only been on Arimidex since Dec. but have extreme pain in my legs and arms. Even a pain patch and Percocet does not take care of it.

Have had a masectomy (15 lymph nodes with cancer removed)-chemotheraphy twice and 35 sessions of radiation.

No thinning of hair at this time (just getting it back) but nauseated all the time.

Jean

Sorry that you are also having pain. I am on Darovcet, so far that is the strongest I have been able to get. I got to my oncologist Friday. I stopped taking the Arimidex Sunday. Guess he will not like that. I have been doing a lot of research this week on the effects of having no estrogen and what it does. I have decided that it is better to maybe have 5 years of good quality than 10 years of quantity with no quality. You said you had a mastectomy, that is another thing I do not really understand. My mother had a complete mastectomy with all lymph nodes removed many years ago. She was able to go back to her life without pain. Made me feel so week that I am not able to do as she did.

Mary - are you going to the Cancer Center? They seem to be so helpful on all areas. I have been there twice and they refused to give me more chemo in March even though my oncologist here in town almost insisted on it. As you said, it had to do with the quality of life.

I have tried Darvocet but got sick off of it. Am considering acupunture which they also do at the Cancer Center but it is so expensive here with no ins. help.

Each of us are different. My sister died 17 yrs. ago from breast cancer and she had a strong threshold of pain and would take little meds until the end. I am not like that and hope you don't feel weak because you are different from your mother.

God bless you in your decision.
Jean

I mentioned my mother, I lost to breast cancer in 1978. I am in Daytona Beach, Florida and we do not have a big cancer center here. I should say we have a small one connected to the hospital. It is not like say Duke would be. Where are you and where do you go for treatment, etc? Until next time, take care.

Mary

Question. When I send messages it asks if I want to get a notice when there is a reply then below that is has CTCA response requested. Do you know what that is for? Mine has no beside of it. Anyway, just wondered what it is about.

Hi Mary
Just been looking back on the site and saw your message 4/3/2005. I just wondered how you are doing as it is now Sept? I have been on Arimidex for almost 2 years and am getting very bad aches and pains in the lower hips, back region, the bones of the legs, fingers, hands, knees. I wake up so stiff and can hardly get out of bed in the morning - feel like I have aged 30 years over the last 2 years! I do go on the health walker for 10 minutes which really helps me first thing in the morning. My worry is that it is going to get worse and as you have been on it longer than me I wonder if you are getting more pains as the time goes on. When I first started with Arimidex I hardly had any side effects for about 6 months and now gradually, each month, the pains seem to worsen. I am going to see the oncologist on Monday as it is my 6 month check and everyone on this site seems to say that I must ask to go on Aromosin or Femara. Have you changed from Arimidex at all?
I also want to come off the drug but I am scared in case the breast cancer comes back. I hope you see this and reply to it and hope you are making good progress.

I just found this sight and have been reading the messages. Did you ever change your meds due to the bone pain. Like you I had tremendous pain brought on by Arimidex. I was on it for 2 years until Dr. switched me to Femara. The pain disappeared immediately and I felt like a new person for a while. After about a year the pain is back with a vengence. I have 15 more months before I can go off of the medications. Just wondering if you found a med that didn't cause so much pain.

Chris

Hi Chris

The oncologist changed me from Arimidex to Aromasin in November 2005, so have been on it for 5 months now (previously I was on Arimidex for 2 years). At first the pains in the joints and bones was just as bad, but I think that was the Arimidex still in my body. Now I don't get the bone pain at night so much but I am getting extremely fatigued and want to sleep all the time. I find I am very depressed most of the time as well! You just don't seem to be able to get one with no side affects do you? But I am persevering on this one at the moment as I am sleeping a bit better without waking up with pain spasms. I still have to go another 20 months before I can stop taking them. I hope you get on better with Femara. Regards Roz.

I saw my family dr today who gave me a prescription for an analgesic and another for muscle relaxer. She couldn't offer much else. There's not much choice but to stay on one or the other. To complicate things I have 1/2 dozen degenerative discs in my back so the Arimidex and Femara have made that pain worse. I lasted 15 months on Arimidex and now 18 months on Femara. Both cause so much pain. Often it's tolerable, but if I do anything physical I'm a mess for days afterwards.